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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22393474">3 things</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrkrose/pseuds/chrkrose'>chrkrose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Song of Ice and Fire &amp; Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, F/M, Modern Westeros, Romance, Suspense</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:40:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,871</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22393474</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrkrose/pseuds/chrkrose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“With the car speeding down the streets of an awakening King’s Landing, Brienne has the sinking feeling that, whatever is about to happen, her life is irremediably changed. “</p><p>When two federal officers knock on Brienne’s door at 7am, she becomes part of a game she might not be capable of playing.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic is based on a movie called 3 ting, where the main character is played by Nikolaj Coster Waldau. With that said, not everything will follow the movie plot, although if you don’t want to be spoiled, I would advice you watching the movie only after you read the fic (seriously, don’t read anything about the movie until you finish this lol). </p><p>I know nothing about the police rankings and which officer does what so you will probably see a lot of wrong things happening but just go with the flow like we do when watching shows like CSI or Law &amp; Order lmao.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brienne unlocks her door, stepping inside her apartment and closing it with a thud behind her, locking it again before dropping the keys on the counter by her left. Her apartment is small, the kitchen and a dinner table followed by her couch and the TV set next to the wall. And then, by her right, is her room, with a bathroom inside, her bed and the cellphone she left home because she knows the moment she grabs it there will be at least three calls unanswered.</p><p> </p><p>So she takes her time, preparing herself a sandwich and a glass of juice, turning on the TV to see the news. </p><p> </p><p>Brienne turns on her laptop hile the white noise from the tv gives her a little bit of peace. </p><p> </p><p>She can’t stand the silence in her apartment since… she shakes her head, in what became a common practice of ignoring any thought that leads her to <em> that </em> place.</p><p> </p><p>While she waits for the documents to load in her laptop, she gets up, going to her room while listening to Ygritte on Westeros News.</p><p> </p><p>“<em> And the day after tomorrow, the trial of Aerys Targaryen will take place at the federal court in King’s Landing. Aerys is accused of planning and funding the heist of the Iron Bank seven years ago, and so far the 60 million dragons he stole is still unaccounted for. Aerys is also the primary suspect on the murder case of Captain Eddard Stark, the leader of the successful force-task called “operation Wolf” that happened a decade ago. Captain Stark and his task-force were responsible for reducing the drug traffic in King’s Landing as well as eliminating the Bloody Mummers, one of the chief gangs responsible for more than 150 deaths in the Crownlands as well as the Riverlands. Eddard Stark was found dead seven years ago on a forest on the surroundings of King’s Landing, after being declared missing for a week. But the prosecution hasn’t found enough evidence to connect Aerys to the case. Nevertheless, if found guilty, Aerys condemnation symbolizes the end of the hunting against the Valyrians, who are said to be responsible not only for the heist but as well as terrorist attacks perpetrated both in Westeros and Essos.” </em></p><p> </p><p>Aerys trial it’s all the news have been talking about for days now. The Valyrians have been terrorizing Westeros for years, so Brienne feels a certain amount of satisfaction that he’ll probably get the maximum penalty, spending twenty years behind bars. Still, there’s nothing new to report so she tunes out Ygritte’s voice while grabbing her phone and unplugging it from the charger.</p><p> </p><p>Thirteen missed calls</p><p>Eleven messages.</p><p> </p><p>She reads only the last one.</p><p>
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</p><p><b>Hyle Hunt</b> <b> <em>: </em> </b> <em> please babe, let me come home. let’s talk. we can fix this. we can go through this together. </em></p><p><b> <em>Received</em> </b> </p><p>
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</p><p>Brienne closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, but still, she cannot forget what’s imprinted on her brain. Hyle tangled up with some blonde on <em> her </em> bed, in <em> her </em>apartment.</p><p> </p><p>She regrets the day she accepted his idea of them moving in together. </p><p> </p><p>As if she hadn’t made that same mistake once before. </p><p> </p><p>Brienne deletes the texts and comes back to her living room/kitchen/dinner table, finishing her juice and sandwich before heading to her bathroom, grabbing her towel and taking off her clothes.</p><p> </p><p>By the time she finishes her shower, she feels much better.</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She works on her thesis until 1am. Tomorrow she’ll have a meeting with professor Mormont, and she hopes there’s not much to fix on her work for her presentation next month. Tries not to think about standing in front of a room filled with people she doesn’t know, staring at her and judging every word that comes out of her mouth.</p><p> </p><p>When she lays down on her bed, ready to sleep, there are three more texts messages from Hyle.</p><p> </p><p>She deletes them all and sets up her alarm for 6:30 am. </p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She’s ready to leave, already showered and with her clothes on, having a bowl of cereal and another glass of juice when someone knocks on her door. Brienne frowns at the noise, looking at her watch on the wall. It’s 7am. She waits to see if it was just her imagination, but the person on the other side knocks again after a few seconds.</p><p> </p><p>She stands up from her table, goes to her door and looks at the peephole. Two men, with police badges hanging from their neck, are standing on the other side. </p><p> </p><p>Brienne unlocks the door and opens it with huge eyes, staring at the two men standing in front of her.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Good morning... m’am.” </em> One of them say, showing her his badge. <em> “I’m detective Petyr Baelish and this is my partner, detective Theon Greyjoy. We need you to come with us”. </em></p><p> </p><p>Brienne swallows the lump in her throat, staring wide eyed at the two men.</p><p> </p><p><em> “What is this about? Am I being arrested? For what? I haven’t done anything-” </em> her mind is working a thousand miles per hour, trying to think of something that could justify the presence of two federals on her door at 7am. </p><p> </p><p><em> “You’re not being arrested. But we can’t disclose what this is about at this moment in time.” </em>detective Petyr replies.</p><p> </p><p><em> “T-this is a mistake. You must be confusing me with someone else”. </em> Then her mind conjures Hyle’s face and she silently swears by all the seven gods that if he put her in any sort of compromising position with the justice, she’s going to kill him. She’ll have to search her apartment up and down for anything he might have left behind “ <em> If you’re looking for Hyle Hunt, he doesn’t live here anymore, but I can give you his address if-“ </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “Are you Brienne Tarth?” </em>The other detective asks, interrupting her, and stunned, Brienne simply nods.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Then you are who we are looking for.” </em> Detective Baelish continues. “ <em> Listen, you can either come with us willingly or not. But as federal officers, we have the power to arrest you if you resist. So I would suggest you grab your bag by the table and come with us right at this moment.” </em></p><p> </p><p>For the first time, Brienne notices the guns both men are carrying on their hips. </p><p> </p><p>She swallows heavily once again, turns around and grabs her bag, before following both officers out of the door and down the stairs of her building. Once they arrive in the garage, a black van is waiting for them.</p><p> </p><p>She sits on the back seat inside the van, the black tinted windows casting the inside of the car in near night darkness. Petyr goes to the driver’s seat, while the other officer, Theon, is sitting in front of her, watching her with a frown on his brown, the gun casually laying on the seat beside him, his hand on top of it. </p><p> </p><p>With the car speeding down the streets of an awakening King’s Landing, Brienne has the sinking feeling that, whatever is about to happen, her life is irremediably changed. <br/><br/></p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Demands</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank y’all for the lovely comments, I’ll reply to each one of them.</p><p>As I said, if you want to watch the movie, go ahead, but if you want to avoid spoilers for this fic, I would suggest you to watch the movie only after this one is done. I’ll probably add the chapter count later when I outline everything and have an idea how many chapters it will take. But I don’t think there will be more than 10 chapters. </p><p>Also, while Brienne and Jaime will remain as in character as I can manage to have them (book version), I can’t promise the same for the other characters. You will get glimpses of Petyr Baelish, Catelyn Stark and the others listed, but overall I will adapt them for the plot than the other way around. I hope it’s ok :) </p><p>PS: in this chapter, the POV will alternate between Catelyn and Petyr,  but mostly Catelyn.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> [5 am - Two hours before Brienne hears two knocks on her front door.] </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
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</p><p>Captain Catelyn Tully arrives at the Red Keep hotel with time to spare. Still, as soon as she’s unlocks the door of room 1568, she starts getting everything ready. </p><p> </p><p>Catelyn checks the living room, opens the sliding doors that lead to the bedroom and checks the bed, beneath it and the adjacent bathroom by her right. Everything is in order. As it was supposed to.</p><p> </p><p>Then she goes to the table placed in the middle of the living room, opening her suitcase and organizing the contents on top of the table. Three massive files containing all the details about the case, as well as another much smaller one, with the deal she had written herself. A pen, placed neatly beside the legal document. </p><p> </p><p>Finally, she grabs the last item still hidden inside, her fingers brushing the face printed on the photograph. She turns around until she finds a spot on the wall, taking the duct tape she brought with herself and fixing the photograph so it won’t fall.</p><p> </p><p>Once everything is ready, she grabs her pack of cigarettes and goes to the balcony, smoking and watching while King’s Landing still sleeps below.</p><p> </p><p>There’s still another fifteen minutes until they arrive, she presumes. Catelyn tries to think of nothing, just watching the smoke rising into the pinkish sky, the sun showing its first signs of finally coming alive.</p><p> </p><p>Fifteen minutes later, she hears the noise of the door being unlocked. She steps back inside the room, watching as Petyr and Theon bring him inside. He has his hands cuffed and his elbows tied as well, his head and face hidden by a black bag. </p><p> </p><p>Petyr takes off the bag from his head, and his eyes narrow against the sudden light hitting his face.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Hi Jaime” </em>Catelyn greets him, while he looks around the room. When he realizes it’s just the four of them here, he turns to face Catelyn.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Where is Stannis?” </em> he asks, seeming suspicious.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Take off his cuffs and untie him” </em> Catelyn orders to Petyr.</p><p> </p><p><em> “What the hell are we doing in a fucking hotel room?” </em>Jaime questions again. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Oh, so you’re going to pretend you’re stupid now?” </em>Petyr replies.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Where is Stannis?” </em>Jaime asks one more time, his eyes never straining from Petyr’s face while he sets his elbows and hands free, until Catelyn speaks.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Stannis won’t come” </em>she says.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Why not?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Probably on vacation with his kids” </em>Catelyn answers.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime throws his head back, rolling his eyes to the ceiling as if she’s the most stupid person he has ever seen in his life. Then he stares at her with cold green eyes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I can’t speak without a lawyer present”. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Catelyn stops rearranging the files on the table, dread filling her chest. She looks at Jaime with surprise. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “We had a deal Jaime” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Have I signed up anything?” </em>He asks, raising an eyebrow to her.</p><p> </p><p>Catelyn shares a glance with Petyr, then shifts her eyes to Jaime. His eyes dance from one to the other, until he fixes his gaze on Petyr, a small smirk playing on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>Catelyn let go of her breath, rolling her eyes and sitting down on the chair in front of the table.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Sit down” </em>Petyr tells Jaime, indicating the other chair across from Catelyn.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime only stares at Petyr, making no mention of moving at all until Theon pushes him to the chair.</p><p> </p><p>Once across from Catelyn, Jaime leans his head back, staring her down, an insolent expression she knows well on his perfect face. For once, it doesn’t give her the urge of killing him right on the spot. Instead, she lets the silence fill the room, pleased that she’s about to rip that right off of his face.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Did you know that Bronn is dead?” </em>She asks, already knowing he’s not aware of it.</p><p> </p><p>As she expected, the mask of arrogance falls completely, his expression turning to something akin to shock before he gets his composure back, looking down at his hands on his lap. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Do you know how he died? Heroin. He overdosed”. </em>She waits, letting the information sink in.</p><p> </p><p><em> “That’s funny” </em>he says, still looking down at his lap, his voice a sharp contrast with the words coming out of it.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Strange, don’t you think?” </em> Catelyn says, watching him. Jaime lifts his head, avoiding her gaze and turning to the huge windows placed all over the wall beside them. <em> “How long have you known each other?”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “Long” </em>is his only answer, still staring at the window and the city below.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Don’t you find strange? His sudden addiction?”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jaime takes a moment to reply, seeming to be lost in thought. Then his eyes focus again, and he turns to Catelyn. <em> He built his walls back up, </em>she thinks.</p><p> </p><p><em> “He could have hanged himself, or fell down the stairs, or aten something rot, it doesn’t matter does it?” </em>His arrogance and sarcasm are back, looking at Catelyn as if the subject of Bronn’s death doesn’t matter to him. </p><p> </p><p>But she knows it does. So she focus on that small window he had allowed to be seen.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Good we agree on something” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “We don’t agree on anything”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Jaime” </em> Catelyn shifts on her chair, leaning forward. <em> “We both know that someone killed Bronn” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “And you thought that bringing me here was safer than doing this at the precinct?” </em>He says, that same tone back. As if he thinks Catelyn the most stupid woman he has ever seen. She tries not to lose her patience, tries not to let him get under her skin.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Including you, only four people know that you’re here” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>That makes him stop, looking around the room. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Stannis doesn’t know we’re here?” </em> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Stannis doesn’t know we’re here” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He holds her gaze for another moment.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I’m thirsty” </em>he says. </p><p> </p><p><em> “There’s probably water or beer at the minibar. Help yourself” </em>Catelyn shrugs. </p><p> </p><p>Jaime’s gaze shift from her, to Petyr, then to Theon, before getting up and walking around the table, heading for the minibar close to the door of the bedroom further down the living room.</p><p> </p><p>Catelyn takes that moment to breath and recomposes herself. She can’t let him slip through her fingers. Not now that she’s so close. </p><p> </p><p><em> “I want to avoid any misunderstandings” </em> Catelyn says, turning around to look at him. Jaime is grabbing a beer for himself, nodding at Petyr as if asking if he wants one too. Petyr shakes his head, refusing it. <em> “This is how it’s going to happen: Tomorrow, you will be our witness at court against Aerys Targaryen. You will tell us everything about your involvement in The Heist of the Iron Bank and everything you know about the other criminals also involved. In exchange, we will give you full immunity and you will get into the Witness Protection Program  .”  </em></p><p> </p><p>While she speaks, Jaime stands up, once more checking the room, opening the sliding doors behind him that give access to the bedroom, acting as if he’s not paying attention at all to what she’s saying. Catelyn doesn’t falter.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You will remove all of your tattoos through plastic surgery...” </em> Jaime walks by her side, going in the direction of the window a few steps in front of the chair Catelyn is sitting. <em> “And the program will offer you a house in Pentos” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “Braavos” </em> Jaime says, stopping in his tracks and turning back to look at Catelyn, his voice and face clearly annoyed at her “mistake”. <em> So you are paying attention after all </em>, she thinks. She smiles.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You’re right. Braavos.” </em>She corrects herself.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime throws her a look of pure disdain before turning his back to her, staring at King’s Landing below him. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “We’ll offer you money for your living expenses on the first twelve months. After that, you will have to get yourself a job to provide for yourself. If we find out you’re involved in any sort of crime, your immunity will be revoked… and we will hunt you down until the end of the earth”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jaime comes back to his chair, sitting across Catelyn once again. </p><p> </p><p><em> “The limitation period for robbery is twenty years” </em>he tells her. </p><p> </p><p><em> “This is a murder case, Jaime” </em> Catelyn says, looking at Ned Stark’s picture on the wall. Jaime turns his head to look at it as well. <em> “There’s no limitation period”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Right at that moment, Catelyn’s phone starts buzzing inside her purse. She grabs it, looking at the screen before standing up.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I need to take this. I’ll be right back” </em>she says, before heading for the bathroom. She doesn’t notice the way Petyr’s eyes linger on her hips while she walks.</p><p> </p><p>Once inside the bathroom, she puts her phone on the sink, sits down on the toilet and takes a deep breath. <em> This is gonna work. This is gonna work, </em>she repeats to herself, like a mantra.</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Petyr Baelish is still gazing towards the path Catelyn just walked by when Jaime’s voice brings him back to himself.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Do you wanna fuck her?” </em>Jaime asks, amused.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Excuse me?” </em>Petyr replies, a mask of politeness, pretending he wasn’t just caught looking at Catelyn by a piece of shit like Jaime Lannister.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You wanna fuck her” </em> Jaime repeats, as if there’s nothing wrong with what he’s saying at all. </p><p> </p><p>Theon looks from one to the other, not knowing what to say.</p><p> </p><p><em> “What are you talking about?” </em>Petyr asks</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “You keep checking out her ass, you wanna fuck her.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “I wasn’t checking out anything” </em>Petyr says, controlling his voice so he won’t let his anger slip through. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “You were. When you’re not looking at me, you’re looking at her ass”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Petyr laughs, raising his hand and showing the ring on his finger.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I’m taken” </em>he tells Jaime, a smile playing on his lips.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Well, that’s not </em> my <em> problem” </em>he shrugs, taking another sip of his beer.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Exactly, it is not” </em>Petyr says, his voice a little bit louder than before. </p><p> </p><p><em> “It’s just… it’s embarrassing you know?” </em> Jaime grimaces, looking in the direction of the bedroom door and then back to Petyr. <em> “She already knows and-”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “What?” </em>Petyr says, and Jaime stops talking, furrowing his brow before a look of surprise takes his face.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Oh… you haven’t told her. Well, you should. So we can avoid this strangeness in the room you know?”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “What strangeness in the room?” </em>Catelyn asks, walking back from the bathroom and sitting on the chair across from Jaime once again.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You should ask Petyr” </em>Jaime says, the perfect mask of innocence.</p><p> </p><p>Petyr feels the urge of wrapping his hands around Jaime’s throat and squeeze the air out of him, but he just smiles, dismissing Jaime’s remark.</p><p> </p><p><em> “It’s nothing” </em>he tells Catelyn. But she’s not convinced. She turns her face towards Jaime, silently asking him what he meant with that comment.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I said there’s a strangeness in the room because…” </em>
</p><p>Jaime says, shifting his gaze to Petyr. He lets the silence linger, while Petyr just stares at him, silently asking him to shut his fucking mouth. <em> “.. because you will send me to Braavos, even though Petyr would probably rather kill me”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “The difference between you and Petyr is that he can control his impulses, even if there’s a strangeness in the room because of that” </em> Catelyn says.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime only nods, drinking from his beer. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Did you understand the terms of our deal Jaime?” </em>Catelyn asks.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime nods again, swallowing the beer in his mouth before replying.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I just need three things”.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Catelyn raises an eyebrow at him.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Three things?” </em> Jaime nods, and Catelyn cocks her head to the side. <em> “This is not a negotiation, Jaime. If you want to negotiate, you can do that with your lawyer.” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “Call Stannis then” </em>Jaime says. </p><p> </p><p><em> “We don’t have time” </em>Catelyn tells him through gritted teeth, a crack in her composure.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Is it you who will leave your own country? Leave everything behind?”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “I knew Ned Stark. I don’t feel bad for you at all Jaime” </em>she answers him.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Fuck, I did </em> not <em> kill Eddard Stark”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “I wouldn’t be here offering you a deal if I thought you killed him” </em>she tells him calmly, trying to regain control of the situation. </p><p> </p><p><em> “We either reach an agreement or you can shove your deal whenever you want to, I don’t give a flying fuck”. </em>Jaime says, leaning forward, his face shifting from the arrogance and sarcasm he wears like a mask to something darker. Suddenly all the control Catelyn felt a moment before slips through the cracks of her fingers. </p><p> </p><p>They both stare at each other, and Catelyn knows with a certainty inside of her that this man is capable of anything, including walking away and imploding everything she has worked so hard for. </p><p> </p><p>She turns her head towards Petyr, who is staring at Jaime with something akin to hate in his eyes. She drifts her eyes back to Jaime.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Ok.” </em>She says. </p><p> </p><p>He keeps staring at her, eyes narrowing for a millisecond before he settles back to what Catelyn considers his normal self, the arrogance that gives him the capacity of walking around as if the world owns him everything.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Three things” </em>he says, raising his left hand. </p><p> </p><p><em> “I want a box that it’s on a storage in Cobble’s Square” </em>he counts, lowering one finger. </p><p> </p><p><em> “I want you to bring here a girl named Brienne Tarth” </em> Jaime lowers another finger.</p><p> </p><p><em> “And last...” </em>  he stops, taking a deep breath before saying <em> “ I want butter chicken from the River Row restaurant near the King’s Gate”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Theon snorts before he can control himself, but Jaime doesn’t pay him any attention.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You’re going to eat bread and butter and consider yourself lucky” </em>Petyr tells him. Jaime also ignores him, his eyes never leaving Catelyn’s face.</p><p> </p><p><em> “What’s in the box?” </em>Catelyn asks him.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Some personal belongings” </em>he replies.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Yeah, like 10kg of plastic explosives?” </em>Petyr says, and Jaime just looks at him and rolls his eyes, his gaze shifting back to Catelyn. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Jaime, we won’t bring a stranger here. It’s too risky” </em>Catelyn tells him.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Ok” </em> Jaime smiles and nods, eyes looking down at the table before he lifts up his gaze once more. <em> “Is that your final decision?”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Catelyn stares back at him, trying to read his intentions, trying to understand the trap behind his requests. It’s useless. </p><p> </p><p>She can’t back down. She can’t show him how much she wants this.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Yes” </em>it’s her answer. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Good” </em> Jaime says, standing up and looking at Theon <em> “can you bring me back to prison?”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “I’m gonna make your life hell, Jaime Lannister. I swear to the old gods and the news, I’m gonna make your life so miserable you will regret ever crossing my path“ </em>Catelyn says to the space in front of her, the dread and rage filling her chest choking her words in her throat.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I don’t understand” </em> Jaime says, standing in front of Ned Stark’s picture with a frown on his face. <em> “Don’t you wanna know who killed your hero here?”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Catelyn’s eyes wide at that, looking up at Jaime. By her side, Petyr is also staring at him, shock and surprise on his face.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Do you know who killed Ned?” </em>Catelyn asks him, trying to hide the trembling in her voice.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Do you or do you not know who killed Ned Stark?” </em>Petyr says, standing up from the arm of the couch where he was seated. </p><p> </p><p>Jaime’s mouth turns up, a smirk playing on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “How would I tell you if I didn’t know?”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “You could be lying. It happens a lot” </em> Petyr tells him.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime shakes his head, walking towards Petyr Baelish.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Use your head. Cmon, just think a little.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “I </em> am <em> thinking” </em>Petyr spits, on the verge of fulfilling his fantasy of killing Jaime Lannister with his own hands</p><p> </p><p><em> “No, I mean </em> really <em> think Petyr, not just pretend.” </em> He says, standing right in front of Petyr, the same insolence from before still there. <em> “How could I be lying to you now?”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “He’s right” </em>Catelyn says from the place where she’s seating.</p><p> </p><p><em> “What?” </em>Petyr asks, looking back at her stunned. She was supposed to be backing him here, both of them trying to break Jaime until he agreed on the deal. Instead, she was siding with him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “If he had been lying, the deal would be revoked and he would be at mercy of his Valyrian friends once the trial is done.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jaime stares back at Petyr with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.</p><p> </p><p><em> “This Brianna Tarth. Does she have police record?” </em>Catelyn asks Jaime. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Her name is Brienne. 10987-6786. Her ID number.” </em> Jaime says, sitting back on the chair. Catelyn narrows her eyes. <em> He knows her ID by memory. </em> “ <em> You can check her. She’s clear” </em>. </p><p> </p><p>Catelyn nods, standing up from her chair and grabbing the documents on the table, putting them back inside her suitcase. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I’ll check to see if we’ll have to rewrite your deal. Petyr and Theon, check her background and if she’s clear as he says she is, bring her here”.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The only reaction Jaime shows is to lean back on his chair, looking from Catelyn to Petyr while they go about doing what they need to do.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Do you have with you Aerys’ belongings that were with him when he was arrested?” </em>He asks suddenly.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Yes, we do. Why?” </em>Petyr asks him. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Can I see them?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “No way we can let you have access to that” </em>Petyr tells him, but at the same time Catelyn asks:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Why do you want them?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “I knew him well. I was thinking you could have let something slip through” </em>he tells them, a thoughtful expression on his face. Now that Catelyn agreed to his demands, he seems be cooperating.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I’ll see what I can do” </em>she tells him, before grabbing her phone to make the necessary calls.</p><p> </p><p>It’s 6:40 am when Petyr Baelish and Theon Grevjoy leave the Red Keep Hotel and head to Brienne Tarth’s address. From there to Brienne’s apartment it takes sixteen minutes.</p><p> </p><p>At 7am, Detectives Petyr and Theon are standing on the third floor of a small building, the number 08 painted in blue on the white door in front of them.</p><p> </p><p>Petyr Baelish knocks twice before a woman, broader and taller than any other woman he has ever seen, with huge blue eyes and freckles everywhere on her homely face stares back at him, a look of surprise on her face.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Good morning... m’am.” </em> Petyr says. <em> “I’m detective Petyr Baelish and this is my partner, detective Theon Greyjoy. We need you to come with us”. </em></p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The First Thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, the years in got are counted different so I decided to adapt it for this fic.</p><p>I imagine that 300 AC in got is the equivalent of 1500 for us in the real world, so imagine that 813AC is basically 2013 for us. </p><p>Just an observation so you guys don’t get confused :D.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The water feels warm in his body, Jaime sighing with relief when it hits his stump where his prosthetic hand had been attached. He lets his forehead fall against the cold titles on the wall, the stream of the shower hitting his head and back. </p><p> </p><p>He takes deep breaths, allowing his mind to go blank, feeling that comforting numbness he knows it means he’s starting to go away inside. For a few minutes he feels the emptiness that come with it. </p><p> </p><p>The noise of someone ringing the doorbell outside the hotel room and Catelyn’s steps towards the door snap him back. </p><p> </p><p>He washes his hair and cleans himself quickly, finishing his shower and grabbing the towel to dry himself. Turning around, that’s when he notices the grid that protects the air ventilation right under the sink.</p><p> </p><p>Stepping carefully outside the shower box, Jaime get on his knees under the sink and carefully pulls the grid with his left hand, putting it on the floor without making any noise.</p><p> </p><p>Inside, the duct is large enough to fit two of himself. He grabs the grid from the floor and puts it back on its place, standing up and resuming drying himself again. </p><p>
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  <em> [5 minutes before] </em>
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</p><p>Brienne’s heart is still beating faster than normal, her hands sweating. She feels her face warmer than usual. She tries not to look to either officer Theon or officer Petyr, trying to maintain a calm facade even though she feels like fainting.</p><p> </p><p>She has never been to The Red Keep hotel before. It’s a five star hotel, and walking through the reception towards the elevator, she can feel the difference in the air, as if this place breathes gold and money.</p><p> </p><p>Once inside the elevator, officer Petyr’s phone starts ringing. He picks it up, staring at the screen for a moment before answering the call. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Hi Lysa. Why do you keep calling me babe?” </em> He says. That’s when she notices the wedding ring on his finger. As if sensing her gaze, he turns his face towards her. Brienne quickly drops her gaze to the floor, looking at her boots. <em> “No, I’m not at the precinct. I can’t tell you where I am. I’ll call you when I’m done alright?” </em></p><p> </p><p>Brienne can’t help the shiver that runs through her spine when she hears that. What will it mean to her, when he’s “done”? </p><p> </p><p>They finally arrive at the 15th floor, Theon’s hand resting lightly on her arm to push her forward. She goes without restraint. She spent the whole ride wrecking her brain after something that could explain the situation. There was nothing. They refused to answer any of her questions. It’s useless to try to figure it out why they brought her here or what this is all about. Soon enough, for better or worse, she’ll know.</p><p> </p><p>They stop in front of the room 1568, and Petyr rings the doorbell. Brienne can hear the steps of someone getting close to the door, unlocking it and opening it so they can get inside. </p><p> </p><p>Standing in front of her it’s a woman, her eyes blue and gelid like The Wall up North, her red hair pinned up neatly on top of her head, a contrast to Brienne’s messy bun. She’s wearing a blazer with a white shirt underneath and a black pencil skirt. On her hip, there’s a gun. She steps aside so they can enter the room.</p><p> </p><p>Theon pulls out the chair from a table set in the middle of the living room, and motions to Brienne so she can sit down. </p><p> </p><p><em> “I’m leaving to rewrite some details of his deal. I’ll be back soon so we can start” </em>the woman says, and leaves without waiting for another answer.</p><p> </p><p>Petyr sits on the couch to Brienne’s right while Theon is standing a little further behind her.</p><p> </p><p><em> “C-can someone tell me what’s going on? Why am I here?” </em>Faintly, she hear noises coming from the bedroom on her right, the sliding doors half open. She can only see the bed and a little bit of the room inside, but she knows there’s someone else there.</p><p> </p><p>Officer Petyr only smirks at her before turning his face in the direction of the bedroom.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “There’s someone here for you. You’re making the lady wait” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Looking at officer Petyr, she feels more than see the movement coming from her peripheral vision.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne shifts her eyes from the officer and looks in the direction of the bedroom.</p><p> </p><p>She feels all the blood leaving her face, her heart no longer beating inside her chest. Her brain seems to suddenly stop working, making it impossible to process what she’s seeing with her own eyes right in front of her.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne feels as if time suddenly froze, his green eyes preventing her from moving or breathing or existing in the space and time as she knows it. </p><p> </p><p>She doesn’t know for how long they just stare at each other, his gaze never leaving her face, his eyes never straining from hers.</p><p> </p><p>Until he finally moves, turning his back to her and that’s when she feels like whatever spell he casted breaks, noticing her surroundings and <em> him </em>. He grabs a shirt from the bed, putting it on. Brienne hasn’t even noticed he was shirtless until she sees the material covering his tattoos from view. Hasn’t noticed how his hair is different, so much shorter instead of the golden strands almost hitting his shoulder; how his full beard is gone, replaced by a stubble, as if he hasn’t shaved for a few days.</p><p> </p><p>Then he turns around once more, coming out from the bedroom. Walking towards her.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Jaime. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>A few feet away from her.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne stands on shaking legs, and she can see the beginning of a smile on his lips, his eyes softening in that way she knows so well, and that’s when all the blood that had evaporated from her body comes back, rushing to her brain and to her face. </p><p> </p><p>His hands, the real one as well as his prosthetic, raise as if to touch her. </p><p> </p><p>She can’t let him touch her, she realizes. She <em> can’t </em>.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne sides step Jaime on the last second, walking past him and badly calculating the space between them, slamming hard against his shoulder. He loses his balance for a moment, stumbling back, but she already has her back to him, going in the direction of the door. Suddenly officer Theon stands in front of her, as if to stop her. <em> It’s no matter, I’m stronger than him, </em>she thinks, not slowing down.</p><p> </p><p>Until he raises his gun.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne stops short in front of him.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Put that fucking gun down.” </em> She hears Jaime from somewhere behind her. The pain that slices through her heart at the sound of his voice makes her flinch. <em> “I said to put.the.fucking.gun.down. Now!” </em>Jaime roars.</p><p> </p><p>Officer Theon looks to someone behind Brienne’s left shoulder. Probably officer Petyr. Then he lowers his weapon.</p><p> </p><p><em> “When was the last time you two saw each other?” </em>Officer Petyr asks, his voice amused.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Stay out of it” </em>Jaime tells him, gritting his teeth. </p><p> </p><p>Brienne turns around, avoiding Jaime’s face, looking at officer Petyr instead.</p><p> </p><p><em> “April 8, 813 AC” </em>she answers him, internally cringing at how shaken her voice sounds. She can see Jaime reaching for her from the corner of her eye but then he stops before he does anything. </p><p> </p><p><em> “So seven years” </em>officer Petyr says.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I wanna go home” </em> she says, feeling herself on the verge of tears now. Officer Theon looks at her with something akin to pity on his face, and she feels a devastating need of tackling him to the ground and run for the door. <em> “What’s going on here? What’s this? Someone tell me what’s going, I was brought here against my will, I want-“  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “Brienne. Brienne, listen to me” </em>Jaime tells her, speaking softly, as if talking to a wounded animal. A memory, old, locked inside the darkest corner of her brain, flashes through her mind. Jaime, speaking on that same soft tone, trying to calm her down while she broke down on her kitchen floor, finally allowing herself to grief her father months after his death.</p><p> </p><p>She hates the way her body seems to recognize this tone, his voice immediately pulling her from the brink of a full panic attack. </p><p> </p><p><em> “You’re here because of me. You haven’t done anything. You’re here because I asked them to bring you to me” </em>he tells her, sitting on the chair she vacated, looking up at her with those same soft eyes.</p><p> </p><p>She hasn’t even realized her eyes had drifted to his face. </p><p> </p><p><em> “What has he done?” </em>She asks officer Petyr. </p><p> </p><p><em> “He was part of the Heist of the Iron Bank and helped stealing 60 million dragons. One of our colleagues might have died because of the gang Jaime was part of and now he will snitch his friends to save himself” </em>officer Petyr tells her, and Brienne feels her eyes growing impossibly wide, looking from him to Jaime. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Who are you? Who is this man in front of me? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jaime is staring at officer Petyr with sharp eyes, anger swimming beneath his gaze, but when he notices Brienne’s eyes on him, he shifts to look at her. His eyes soften instantly. </p><p> </p><p><em> “I just… I’m leaving the country. For good. I just wanted to see you again…” </em>he says, his voice almost a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne turns to officer Theon, still standing in front of her.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Please take me home. I haven’t agreed to any of this”. </em> He just stands there, not saying anything. Brienne tries again. <em> “If you can’t take me home, I can take a bus, but please step aside so I can leave” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “You can’t go home, at least not now. You’ll have to wait a few hours at least.” </em> he finally replies. <em> “It’s too risky. A person died already because Jaime agreed to testify against Aerys. We can’t let you leave. It’s for your own safety”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Brienne feels her jaw dropping open, the reality and the magnitude of what she got herself into finally sinking. </p><p> </p><p>The reality of what <em> Jaime </em> got her into finally becoming crystal clear.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes shift to stare at him. Jaime looks at her with something akin to pain and remorse in his face, his green eyes begging her for something she can’t name.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I cannot... believe... you brought me into this.” </em>She feels the anger boiling inside of her and she clutches herself to that feeling like a lifeline, because it’s better than the pain of seeing him face to face and hearing his voice after so long.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I just wanted to see you. I wanted to say goodbye” </em> he says, and his voice feels like a knife twisting in her belly.</p><p> </p><p>So she holds herself even more tightly to the anger that still swims inside her veins.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I am </em> done <em> with being hostage of your fucked up life choices, Jaime Lannister” </em>she tells him, and his flinch should cause her pleasure. But instead she feels as if all the strength is leaving her body.</p><p> </p><p>She walks to the couch and sits down, putting her head in her hands. She can feel officer Petyr standing up.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne can also feel Jaime’s gaze on her, like a caress on her skin. </p><p> </p><p>She raises her head up, sitting straight on the couch. Trying to show a little bit more of strength, trying to build her walls back up. Brienne stares back at him, trying to hold his gaze, but this proves too much so she shifts it back to the empty space in front of her.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You’re thinner.” </em> Jaime says from where he’s seating <em> “I mean, you’re still strong, but you look thinner than before”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Brienne looks over at him. </p><p> </p><p><em> “You look stronger.” </em> It’s all she says.</p><p> </p><p><em> “There isn’t much to do in jail besides working out” </em>he tells her, a half smile playing on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>She doesn’t have anything to say to that, and for a moment she wonders if she suffered some sort of accident and this is all her brain conjuring the most absurd scenario. Sitting on a couch in a five star hotel, talking to Jaime as if the last time she had laid eyes on him wasn’t seven years ago.</p><p> </p><p><em> “How are you? What have you been up to?” </em>He asks her, leaning forward on his chair.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I still live in the same apartment, at Sister st.” </em> she says, and then quickly adds <em> “with my boyfriend. Hyle”. </em>She sees Jaime’s eyes narrowing. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “What does he do, this hyle guy?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Is none of your business”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Does he treat you well? Is he decent?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “He’s not a criminal”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jaime doesn’t have an answer to that, just stares at her, and she can’t summer the strength of pretending she’s fine and that seeing him is not killing her inside.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Seven years ago, you left for a business trip… and never came back. Nobody has ruined my life the way you did” </em>she tells him, and for the first time he breaks his gaze on her, dropping his eyes to the floor. <em>“I built myself back together, I got over you. And then… and then I meet you again and </em>again...<em>again</em> <em>you want to ruin my life even more than you did the first time.” </em></p><p> </p><p>He’s silent for so long that Brienne thinks he won’t say anything. But then his eyes shift back to stare at her, and the pain reflected on them feels like a hand squeezing her heart.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I’m sorry. Brienne. I’m so so sorry” </em>he whispers.</p><p> </p><p>She remembers a time when she dreamed about hearing those words coming from him. How she deluded herself into thinking that if she just heard him apologizing, that she wouldn’t need anything else. She just needed to know that he felt at least some sort of pain for what he did. That he cared at least a little so she wouldn’t feel so alone in the love she felt for him.</p><p> </p><p>Now she sees that it doesn’t make anything better.</p><p> </p><p>So Brienne just nods at him, and comes back to stare at the empty space in front of her. </p><p> </p><p>He stands up and sits beside her on the couch. She feels more than sees, the warmth of his hand when he moves to touch hers that is resting on the couch. Brienne snags her hand away, resting it on her lap instead. </p><p> </p><p>She doesn’t know if she can hold back her tears if he touches her.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I miss you” </em> Jaime says beside her, his voice low even with the silence in the room. She wonders if she’s imagining the tremble she hears while he says the words. Brienne closes her eyes, breathing deeply. He waits until her eyes are open to continue, even though she’s still not looking at him. <em> “I need you Brienne. I need your help”.  </em></p><p> </p><p>That gets her attention, her eyes shifting to stare at his perfect face. There are lines there she doesn’t recognize. A harshness on the lines around his mouth she doesn’t recognize.</p><p> </p><p>But his eyes. <em> His eyes. </em>She can’t stand the way he looks at her. Can’t stand that softness that seems to be present every time he looked at her, be it seven years ago or now.</p><p> </p><p><em> “What do you want from me?” </em>She asks him.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I want to… I want to become a better man. I got a second chance. A second chance that I don’t deserve and I don’t want to fuck things up. Not again. I…” </em> his voice breaks a little <em> “I’m done hurting people I love” </em>.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne feels her breath catch when he says that. The way he says that, looking at her so intensely as if there is no one else in the room. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I wanna be-“ </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Oh by the seven, enough” </em> officer Petyr says from where he’s seating, on a chair across the table. Brienne snaps her head to look in his direction. <em> “This soap opera is giving me toothaches. Don’t you see what he wants?”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “What do you mean?” </em> She asks, confused.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Why don’t you both put that bed to use and get it on with it? I’m sure he will be a better man after that” </em>Officer Petyr says, and officer Theon snorts beside him.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne can feel her cheeks growing warm, her face aflame with embarrassment. She stands up, walking to the bedroom, ignoring Jaime murderous gaze towards the two officers. </p><p> </p><p>As soon as Jaime realizes where she’s going, he stands up, following her. He slides the doors shut as soon as he’s in the room with her. Not a second later officer Petyr opens it, but Jaime doesn’t let him step inside the room. Both keep staring at each other.</p><p> </p><p><em> “That’s enough” </em>Officer Petyr says, his voice threatening. His hand goes to his gun when Jaime doesn’t move. </p><p> </p><p>Jaime sighs, rolling his eyes and backing off from the door. </p><p> </p><p><em> “We just want to talk without you both running a commentary at every word we say alright? You both embarrassed her.” </em> Officer Petyr enters the bedroom, checking beneath the bed and at the adjacent bathroom. <em> “What, do you think I’ll run away? If I do, I’ll have not only the Valyrians after me, but you and the federals as well. I just want to survive until tomorrow morning at 10am so I can testify and end this whole thing.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Officer Petyr comes back from the bathroom, standing in front of Jaime once again.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Don’t you dare try anything Lannister” </em>he warns him. Jaime just smirks and pats officer Petyr on the shoulder, before leading him towards the door and sliding them shut again.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne just stands by a small desk near the wall, watching the whole thing unfold. Once they are alone again, Jaime turns towards her. He then walks the few steps separating them. </p><p> </p><p>Once again, before he can reach her, Brienne sides step him, this time carefully avoiding slamming against him like the last time. She puts some distance between them, turning around and inspecting the room, while Jaime half sits on top of the desk.</p><p> </p><p>Now that they are alone, she doesn’t know what to say, and neither does he apparently. So Brienne fidgets with the hem of her jacket, drops her eyes to her boots, looks around once again. Walks to the bathroom and spies inside. Comes back to the room. </p><p> </p><p>All the while, Jaime just stays where he is, watching her.</p><p> </p><p>She finally seats at the foot of the bed, eyes looking up at him. The silence makes her even more on edge, so she speaks the first thing that comes to mind.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Are they going to change your appearance?”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Yeah. They are going to remove all of my tattoos” </em>he tells her.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Hm..” </em> she says, dropping her eyes to her nail, picking on the corner. <em> “It’s gonna hurt”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Jaime doesn’t say anything, but she knows he’s watching her.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Where are you going to live? You said you’re leaving the country” </em>she speaks again, looking up at him once more.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Remember where we met?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Braavos?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Yeah” </em> he says. <em> “It brings me good memories” </em>he adds a moment later.</p><p> </p><p>She feels her cheeks burning again, drops her eyes to the floor. Suddenly her hair is bothering her, all pinned up on top of her head, so she frees it, letting it fall down her shoulders. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Your hair is longer than before” </em> Jaime notices. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Uhum.. I… bought a shampoo. So it could grow faster”.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “I like it. It suits you” </em>he says. </p><p> </p><p>Then he stands up from where he’s perched on top of the table, walking towards her and sitting beside her at the foot of the bed as well.</p><p> </p><p><em> “What are you gonna do? Once you get there?” </em>Brienne asks him.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I… I don’t know. They’ll probably need someone who knows about explosives to work for their underground tunnels maybe, if I’m lucky” </em> he says. <em> “Maybe I’ll get a wife. Have some kids”.  </em></p><p> </p><p>That makes Brienne look at him, trying to read if he’s serious. The amused glint in his eyes while he stares at her answers the question for her. She rolls her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “You never wanted kids Jaime” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I changed my mind once Tywin died. I’d like to have some cubs running around. Be to them what Tywin couldn’t be to me. Poetic, don’t you think?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Yeah. So then you decided to rob 60 millions dragons so you could prove that point” </em>she says, amused. </p><p> </p><p><em> “You haven’t changed at all wench” </em> he tells her with a smile <em> . “Still knows how to hold a grudge like nobody else”  </em></p><p> </p><p>She smiles at that, remembering the first months in their acquiescence. When she still thought she couldn’t hate anybody as much as she hated Jaime Lannister.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime turns and stretches towards the headboard, supporting himself on his right arm while he turns on the radio on the bedside table. A song comes out, low, softly filling the room. Then he’s back to sitting beside her, turning his gaze towards her and catching her staring at him.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You lied to me” </em> she says. It’s out of her before she can hold it back in, all the pain and the hurt of seven years coming out in a low voice and soft tone. Her voice sounds wet, as if the tears she’s holding back inside found a way of being released <em> “You said we…” </em> she stops, not able to bring back all their moments, all the times he made her feel like the most loved woman on the planet, because she doesn’t know if any of that was ever real. <em> “I looked for you until I found where you were. They wouldn’t tell me why you were locked up. I didn’t know. But I still wrote you. I kept writing to you for a year. You never wrote me back” </em></p><p> </p><p>His whole face falls, his eyes seeming to reflect all of her sadness while looking at her</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I didn’t… I didn’t know what to write back. What to say to you. I made too many promises I couldn’t keep and… I broke too many vows”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She doesn’t know what to say to that, so she doesn’t say anything. Brienne doesn’t know if there will ever be an answer that will calm her heart and feels enough, she doesn’t think there will ever be an explanation that will heal the open gap he left behind.</p><p> </p><p>They are silent for a long minute, until she remembers what he told her back in the living room. What he asked of her to help him with.</p><p> </p><p><em> “It’s very hard to change, Jaime” </em>she tells him. </p><p> </p><p><em> “There’s something about that word… that appeals to me.” </em> He says. He shifts closer to her, so close she can feel his breath on her lips. <em> “What’s the opposite of that word, Brienne?” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “I… what?” </em>She asks him, confused.</p><p> </p><p><em> “What’s the opposite of something hard to achieve? Something difficult?” </em>He asks again.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Hm… something easy I suppose” </em>she replies.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Doesn’t it look boring to you? Something easy? You never liked taking the easy road” </em> His eyes drop to her mouth, then shift back to her eyes. <em> “Are you happy?” </em></p><p> </p><p>The question catches her unguarded, provoking that same feeling of a hand squeezing her heart. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Brienne…” </em> he whispers when she breaks his gaze, a shiver wrecking through her body when she listens to his voice saying her name like that. Jaime shifts even closer, his breath washing the side of her face. <em> “Is it easy? with Hyle? Living in that same apartment at Sister st.? Is that… is that what you…?  </em></p><p> </p><p>He could have punched her on her stomach, and the pain and the feeling of shock and the air leaving her lungs would be the same she feels right in this moment, when the meaning of his words finally register in her mind.</p><p> </p><p>All the tears she was so successful in holding back before come rushing back, her eyes stinging when she finally looks up at him. </p><p> </p><p><em> “You…” </em> she whispers, the tears choking her words, preventing her voice from coming out <em> “you are so… fucking… unfair.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Jaime’s eyes grow wide, shock on his face either from her curses or her words, and he moves to try and cage her in his arms but she stands up, pushing him away. She turns around to look at him, sitting on the foot of the bed, wide green eyes staring up at her.</p><p> </p><p><em> “What have </em> I <em> done wrong? Huh?” </em> She asks, finally founding her voice. It trembles with all the tears and pain and rage she bottled inside of her for seven years. <em> “What have I stolen? Who have </em> I killed? <em> Who the fuck do you think you are, Jaime Lannister?!” </em> By now she’s almost screaming, her voice sounding louder and louder but she doesn’t fucking care. <em> “Fuck you, Jaime! Fuck you!” </em>she screams in his face, finally letting it all out.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne turns around, walking to the window, the sobs finally breaking free. She puts a hand on her mouth to try and stiff them, but all it does is to muffle the sounds, her shoulders shaking from the force of it.</p><p> </p><p>She doesn’t hear Jaime standing up, neither his steps walking towards her until he’s right behind her, the warmth from his body sipping through her clothes.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I haven’t killed anybody” </em> he whispers against her hair. <em> “I haven’t killed anybody” </em> he tells her again, reassuring, an hesitant hand touching her back. When she doesn’t flinch or try to get away, he steps closer. <em> “I’m sorry. I’m sorry” </em>he whispers again, kissing her head once, twice, burying his face in her hair. </p><p> </p><p>His hand comes up to cradle the back of her head, his prosthetic one slowly cupping her right elbow, turning her around until she rests her head on his shoulder. He wraps his right arm around her waist, letting her cry on him. Even though she’s taller than him by an inch or so, she feels small in his arms. </p><p> </p><p>Brienne raises her head after a moment, looking at his neck and shirt, damp with her tears. His left hand comes to push away the hairs stuck on her face, and he leans in, kissing her forehead, the side of her face, resting his forehead against hers. His fingers caress her cheek, running from her temple to her jaw. </p><p> </p><p>Brienne raises her head, looking in his eyes. Jaime cups her face with both hands, not saying anything, just staring back at her.</p><p> </p><p>Once, a long time ago, when she thought of him as her definition of happiness, he told her how every time he spent too long looking in her eyes he felt as if he would die if he didn’t kiss her right after. That an unbearable force pulled him forward and he couldn’t fight against it. She remembers laughing and telling him he could just kiss her whenever he felt like, and stop with his nonsense. </p><p> </p><p>Right now, she wonders if he was telling her the truth. </p><p> </p><p>Slowly, she feels him leaning in and her body doing the same, until his lips touch hers, his eyes closing, her eyes following his a second later. Softly, feather like, he keeps the pressure of his mouth on her. He pulls away just slightly, a breath, two, before coming back for more, pressing his lips against hers again, catching her top lip between his, then the bottom one. When his hand cupping her face let goes of it so he can slide his arm around her neck, bringing her closer, she pulls away, breaking free of their embrace and taking two steps away from him. </p><p> </p><p>Brienne is breathing hard, as if what they just did wasn’t barely a chaste kiss, comparing to all the times they had each other. She stares at him, his chest moving as fast as hers, his breathing loud, his eyes so green she thinks there’s nothing in the world that could compare to their color.</p><p> </p><p>His words from a lifetime ago come back to her mind.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Your laugh wounds me wench. It’s not non sense. It's this invisible power you have over me. If I don’t kiss you I’m gonna die. You can curse me, but either kiss me or let me kiss you.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Brienne steps forward again, her large, freckled hands cupping his face and bringing his mouth against hers. Jaime’s arms wrap around her, his hand tangling in her hair and the force of his embrace presses their bodies so close it feels as if he wants to fuse them together, to become one. His mouth opens beneath her own, his tongue darting out to taste her, to fill her senses with <em> his </em> taste, making her forget the past seven years as if their bodies have never been apart from each other. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So now we know why Jaime listed Brienne as one of the things he needed ha.</p><p>There’s a lot more to his motives and what the hell happened for him to make the choices he made.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Question</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just now realized I wrote Petyr’s wife name wrong (it was supposed to be Lysa Tully but I wrote it Lisa). </p><p>It’s now fixed ha.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On her waking hours, when she had to function, she tried her hardest not to think about Jaime. She trained her mind to never wander, to never distract itself until it became a second nature, to shake her head and dissipate any thoughts of him.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne exhausted herself until sleep came the moment she put her head on her pillow, not allowing herself to reach for him in her mind even when everything was darkness and nobody would see the tears fall.</p><p> </p><p>Still, she couldn’t control her dreams. And in her dreams, he was always there. The feel of his skin against her fingertips. The sound of his voice speaking low at her ear. Tormenting her, so she would never forget how it felt to be touched by him.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne thought she had it memorized, the sensations he could evoke, the feel of him against her.</p><p> </p><p>She sees now how wrong she was.</p><p> </p><p>How her dreams could never compare to the reality of it.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime walks her backwards in the direction of the bed, his lips never leaving hers, his tongue deep in her mouth, hand shrugging off her jacket until it falls with a soft thud on the floor. </p><p> </p><p>When her legs hit the bed, she loses her balance, falling on it and breaking their kiss. </p><p> </p><p><em> “No” </em>he groans before dipping his head to claim her lips once more, as if their mouths not touching for the briefest of seconds is something he can’t accept, can’t deal with.</p><p> </p><p>He keeps pushing her down the bed until he’s practically on top of her, the hard lines of his body molding to hers perfectly. </p><p> </p><p>They just <em> fit. </em> They always have.</p><p> </p><p>He surprises her by wrapping one arm around her lower back, propping her up on the bed until he can rest the whole weight of his body on top of hers. Brienne feels her legs opening on her own accord, cradling his hips. </p><p> </p><p>The sound she makes when she feels him hard and heavy through his jeans would be loud if it wasn’t muffled by his mouth on hers.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Jaime” </em>she says against his lips, turning her head to the side so she can breath. He doesn’t miss a beat, dropping a wet kiss on her cheek, on her jaw, licking then lightly catching her earlobe with his teeth. Jaime’s breath is hard against her ear, making her shiver, a mix of agony and pleasure where her body doesn’t know if it wants to push him away or surrender to the feeling.</p><p> </p><p>He makes the decision for her, holding her head with his prosthetic hand, lips and tongue creating a wet trail from the skin behind her ear to her neck, and then back again, until she’s mad with lust, hips canting to meet his. </p><p> </p><p>He brings his lips back to hers, trusting against her, their hips finding their own rhythm. It’s like her body <em> knows </em> it’s him, like every cell in her body is saying <em> finally </em>. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Jaime” </em>Brienne pants against his mouth, not able to control her moans as the feeling keeps building and building. And then she feels herself falling over the edge, trusting him to swallow her whimpers.</p><p> </p><p>From the haze of her orgasm she can feel his hand lifting her shirt, fingers finding bare skin until he cups her breast in his palm, squeezing the small mound, fingertip brushing her nipple. </p><p> </p><p>The shock of that simple touch goes straight to her cunt, and Brienne tangles her hands in his hair, angling his head so she can kiss him deeper, tongue brushing against his, his lips finding the time to bite, suck and lick her own while he has her nipple between thumb and forefinger.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You feel so good. So fucking good” </em>he whispers against her mouth, breaking their kiss so he can bunch up her shirt above her breasts. He drops his mouth to the nipple he had been touching with his hand just a second before, licking it and then closing his lips around it. Brienne’s hand fly to her mouth so she can muffle the sounds he’s dragging from her, looking down at Jaime to find him staring at her. He wraps one arm around her back, dragging her body close until he can have the whole mound of her breast inside his mouth, sucking it hard and humming against her skin.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne doesn’t even realize she’s moving her hips against him again, trying to soothe the ache his mouth is causing on her, feeling her body ready to come again if he just… if he just…</p><p> </p><p><em> “Jaime!” </em>she gasps, a plea, and he seems to know what she wants, his hand swiftly opening the buttons on her jeans, lowering the zipper down. He seems to be ready to get his hand inside her jeans when he stops, letting go of her breast with a wet noise.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Do you know how perfect you are like this?” </em> He tells her, dropping his head to her belly, kissing the skin there before licking a path to the waistband of her jeans, the muscles of her stomach contracting when he dips his tongue on her belly button.</p><p> </p><p>He uses both his hand and his prosthetic to push her jeans down her legs, catching her underwear in the process, until she’s bare for him.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Jaime…” </em> Brienne says, feeling herself blush <em> “someone might get in-“ </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “Nobody will get in here.” </em>He tells her, but he pulls the blanket they fell on top of earlier from underneath her body, covering them with it. He takes advantage of the moment to get rid of his shirt, dropping it somewhere behind him, probably on the same place her pants are. Then he disappears beneath the blanket.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne has the fleeting thought that maybe she wants to uncover them, wants to see him, to read his face, to know what he’s thinking, but then she feels his shoulders between her legs, spreading her open, and his mouth on her cunt. </p><p> </p><p>All thoughts evaporate. </p><p> </p><p>The swirl of this tongue on her clit, the way he’s unashamed in his need of tasting every little part of her, tongue delving deep between her folds, the groan he muffles against her skin, all of it brings her back to the brink of orgasm. Brienne finds his hair beneath the blankets, fingers coursing through the shorter strands, gripping it tightly when he finds her clit once more and <em> sucks.  </em></p><p> </p><p>Her hand finds her mouth again, trying to stay quiet but it’s impossible, there’s no way she can win that battle, not when Jaime presses his face even closer to her cunt, hand propping her hips up until he can have her exactly where he wants her. </p><p> </p><p>She comes with a long moan.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime doesn’t wait for her to ride the aftershocks, emerging from under the blanket and pulling himself up over her body until he lands his mouth on her, the taste of her fresh on his tongue. She feels him fumbling with his pants, kicking them out of the way, all the while kissing her as if he can’t stop.</p><p> </p><p>Then she feels the head of his cock pressing against her entrance, and it’s not hard to wrap her legs around his bare waist, hands finding the skin of his lower back, pressing him down until he enters her in a thrust that seems to bring all the relief she has been searching for all her life. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Are you alright?” </em>He says against the corner of her mouth, panting, dropping kisses along her face, hand caressing her sides, cupping her breast briefly before trailing up until he tangles it in her hair.</p><p> </p><p>Brienne realizes that she’s trembling. Shaking as if her body can’t deal with all these feelings and sensations at once. She doesn’t say anything, just drags his mouth back to hers. Jaime moves, slowly at first, careful, never leaving her body for long. She feels him deep inside of her, and all she can think about is that she doesn’t want this to end. She never wants this to end.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Wench..” </em>he breathes against their kiss, the old nickname he gave her causing her heart to clench at the same time her cunt grips him tighter. </p><p> </p><p>He responds to that, hooking his right arm under her leg. His next thrust against her is hard. Brienne cries out, feeling the tingling sensation growing once more from the very center of her being.</p><p> </p><p>Jaime starts to move faster, licking her cheek and jaw, panting against the skin of her neck. He angles his hips, circling them until she feels him rubbing against her while thrusting inside, deep, deeper, and then she’s flying again. Brienne grips his hair, burying her face against his shoulders to muffle her cries and moans of pleasure.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Fuck… Brienne… love…” </em>Jaime gasps, seeking her mouth once more before coming hard inside her. </p><p> </p><p>For the first time in seven years, she feels whole again. </p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em> “Those tattoos all over his body… what do they mean?” </em>Theon asks.</p><p> </p><p><em> “They are the chemical components of wildfire. It’s what he uses to make his explosives.” </em> Petyr answers him from his place on the couch. </p><p> </p><p><em> “Wow. Fucking cool” </em>Theon whispers, amazed.</p><p> </p><p><em> “No, it is not” </em>Petyr replies even though Theon wasn’t asking anything.</p><p> </p><p>His phone starts ringing once more.</p><p> </p><p>Lysa. </p><p> </p><p>With a sigh he answers, explaining once more than he’s not at the precinct and he can’t tell her where he is. </p><p> </p><p>Just then Catelyn unlocks the door, closing it behind her and going straight for the table, arranging her files on top of it.</p><p> </p><p>Petyr tells Lysa he’ll text her later, ending the call and walking towards Catelyn.</p><p> </p><p><em> “I had to add his requests on the deal. It’s better if we have everything written down”. </em> She then looks around, from Theon to Petyr. <em> “Where is he?”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “Inside” </em> Theon says, moving his head in the direction of the room. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Well, get him back here. Let’s start with this”. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Petyr walks to the door of the bedroom, knocking on it.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Come on Lannister! Get yourself back here in five!” </em>He yells. Then he walks back to the couch, staring at his phone when he receives three more messages from Lysa.</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Officer Petyr’s voice from the other side of the door brings Brienne back to the reality of where she is, of what she has done. </p><p> </p><p>She pushes Jaime out of her and sits back on the bed. Pulls her shirt down, putting it back into place, ignoring the red marks Jaime’s kisses and his stubble caressing her skin have left behind. She finds her pants still on the bed, almost falling down from the edge, and grabs it with both hands, her panties still tangled in it.</p><p> </p><p>She puts it back on, all the while feeling Jaime’s eyes on her back. </p><p> </p><p>Then he speaks. </p><p> </p><p>A question.</p><p> </p><p>“Come to Braavos with me?” <br/><br/></p><p>
  
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Who has seen the movie knows this scene happens a little different (basically Mikael and Camilla, the couple j/b is based on, are interrupt while having sex). </p><p>I didn’t want for j/b to be interrupted so they get to have full sex here \o/</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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